THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Betting Tips: Four Panel Selections From TPC Craig Ranch
Last year, Scottie Scheffler matched the PGA Tour’s 72-hole record with a winning aggregate score of -31 at the clumsily-titled THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson to finish eight shots clear of his nearest challenger.
Almost immediately after Scheffler’s wire-to-wire victory, work started on a $22million renovation at TPC Craig Ranch which saw the course lengthened, the tree-lined fairways narrowed and the greens replaced with Bentgrass.
The world number one is a best-priced 9/5 on betting sites for a successful title defence on this course near Dallas, Texas, which is hosting the tournament for a sixth successive year.
The worst winning total in the last five editions was -23, but changes to the course suggest it may no longer be a birdie bonanza.
Shock USPGA Championship winner Aaron Rai has pulled out of the tournament following his incredible breakthrough victory at Aronimink, but many of the players that played in Pennsylvania are here this week, including Si Woo Kim (13/1), Jordan Spieth (14/1) and Brooks Koepka (22/1).
Since last year, TPC Craig Ranch has been playing as a par-71, but although it was lengthened by Lanny Wadkins in 2025, this week it measures 7,385 yards, down by just under 200 yards from 12 months ago.
Set in a rolling valley, there is plenty of water in play and a creek which crosses most of the holes, so there are dangers despite being ranked one of the easiest courses on the PGA Tour.
Thunderstorms are expected in the area for most of Thursday, so The Panel are skipping the first-round leader market this week despite going close with Xander Schauffele at Aronimink.
Despite narrower sightlines, Scheffler topped the Strokes Gained rankings from Tee-to-Green and for Approach last year. He was also third for SG: Off-the-Tee and inside the top 10 for putting, so it was an almost flawless four days from the world number one.
The Panel are focusing on some of these key areas for their CJ CUP Byron Nelson betting tips, paying particular attention to those who did not play at the USPGA Championship or were not unduly scarred by the difficult nature of Aronimink.
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Betting Tips: Local Hope Coody Can Break Duck
Pierceson Coody was born just 15 miles from McKinney and made his PGA Tour debut on this course five years ago, so this is a place he knows well.
The 26-year-old Texan has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he went close at the 2024 ISCO Championship where he lost a five-man play-off to England’s Harry Hall.
Coody missed the cut by a couple of shots at last week’s major, but The Panel view a free weekend as a positive considering how much energy was expended by all of the players in Pennsylvania.
This season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Coody, finishing inside the top 20 in five of his first six tournaments, including a runners-up spot at the Farmers Insurance Open.
A couple of missed cuts were followed by a back injury which forced him to withdraw from the Houston Open, but he posted top 40s in his next three tournaments before that run was ended at the USPGA Championship.
Coody has been one of the best ball strikers on the PGA Tour in 2026 (31st), is solid from tee-to-green and he finished inside the top 25 at last year’s renewal of the Byron Nelson.
He was second for SG: Off-the-Tee and just outside the top 10 from Tee-to-Green, so if he can improve in other areas like putting, a decent week looks on the cards.
Coody is 40/1 with several betting apps to land his first PGA Tour title and in his home state.
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Betting Tips 1: Pierceson Coody 40/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Betting Tips:
- Pierceson Coody 40/1 (Each-Way) - With Bet365 (Five Places)
- Davis Thompson 40/1 (Each-Way) - With BetMGM (Six Places)
- Kevin Roy 85/1 (Each-Way) - With SpreadEx (Five Places)
- Erik van Rooyen 8/1 Top 20 - With Sky Bet
Prices correct at time of publication 1pm on May 19, 2026
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Tips: Thompson To Top Weakened Field
Scheffler is the only player from the world’s top 20 competing this week, so there will be plenty of golfers hoping the four-time major winner extends his titleless run to 10 tournaments.
Unlike Coody, Davis Thompson already has a PGA Tour title under his belt, winning the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run with a record-breaking 28 under a couple of years ago.
Thompson made a disappointing start to 2026, but he has been on an upward trajectory in his last two appearances, posting top-15 finishes at the Texas Open and the Myrtle Beach Classic.
Craig Ranch did not treat him kindly in his two previous outings in 2023 and 2024, but his ball-striking has also been good (27th) this season and his SG: Off-the-Tee standing is respectable (42nd).
However, his SG: Tee-to-Green (18th) and Approach numbers (17th) are even better, so Thompson looks a livewire at 40/1 with BetMGM, which is offering six places.
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Betting Tips 2: Davis Thompson 40/1 (Each-Way) - With BetMGM (Six Places)
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Predictions: Roy Buoyed By Dunes Display
Kevin Roy should be fresh and raring to go after failing to qualify for the USPGA Championship, a week after finishing third at the Myrtle Beach Classic – his highest position on a PGA Tour event.
That came on the back of a spectacular performance with the putter which saw him more than one shot clear of his nearest rival in the Strokes Gained category.
Although putting was not mentioned as a key factor by title winners at TPC Craig Ranch, it should be noted that Scheffler ranked sixth in this skill set last year and Taylor Pendrith was 14th when he finished a shot clear of Ben Kohles 12 months earlier.
Roy’s SG figures for the major metrics were all negative a fortnight ago which is slightly concerning, but his numbers were nearly all positive when he finished in a tie for 15th here last year.
He is generally solid from tee-to-green and against a weakened field, save for Scheffler, Roy could make an impression at 85/1 with SpreadEx.
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Betting Tips 3: Kevin Roy 85/1 (Each-Way) - With SpreadEx (Five Places)
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THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Top 20 Tips: Happy Memories For Van Rooyen
Erik van Rooyen made a disastrous start to the season with eight consecutive missed cuts which saw him drop to 156th in the world rankings.
Despite playing at the weekend in his last three outings, the South African’s ranking has dropped further to 178th, so he could do with a good week in McKinney.
Van Rooyen heads to Texas with good memories of this track, having finished runner-up to Scheffler last year thanks to a closing eight-under-par 63.
Only Scheffler was better than him from tee-to-green 12 months ago, so hopefully the muscle memory will kick in and he can prove to be competitive.
A win may seem unlikely bearing in mind he has yet to finish inside the top 20 since the Barracuda Championship last July, when he was also runner-up, but 8/1 is a fair price on a player that has proved himself on this course since the renovation.
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Betting Tips 4: Erik van Rooyen 8/1 Top 20 - With Sky Bet
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